Expulsion Season on Capitol Hill: Luna Lights the Grill for Swalwell, Gonzales Gets the Next Burner

Smoke was in the air this morning, but not from a backyard grill. It was Capitol Hill, slow-braised in ethics and scandal, and now the House floor is starting to talk expulsion votes like politics is a smoker that never truly cools down.

Swalwell and Gonzales face expulsion votes, as Luna aims at Swalwell

Here’s the headline reality, straight from the trail. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna plans to force a vote to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell next week over sexual assault and misconduct allegations. Swalwell denies those allegations, because denial is the first defense in any campaign menu.

But the ethics smoke is not imaginary. Axios reported that Democrats are prepared to respond by moving to expel Tony Gonzales, a Republican lawmaker who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee over sexual misconduct allegations.

The AM-radio moment: why expulsion is hard, not casual

Expulsion is not like firing off a hot take and calling it accountability. Under House rules, members need a two-thirds vote to boot a colleague from Congress. So yes, the bar is high. This place was built to survive heat without becoming a mob.

What the Ethics Committee is looking at

For Swalwell, the House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, AP reported. The committee made clear that an investigation does not automatically mean a violation has already been found, but it also does not smell like nothing. Meanwhile, the allegations that triggered the attention reportedly led to Democratic support for Swalwell collapsing quickly after reports surfaced.

For Gonzales, the smoke has been accumulating too. AP reported that Gonzales withdrew from reelection after admitting to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide. The point is not just the personnel drama. It is the kind of conduct the House ethics rules are designed to prevent, including a prohibition on sexual relationships with employees under a lawmaker’s supervision.

Who benefits, besides the voters?

Let’s not pretend this is only about morality. These expulsion efforts also become political opportunity. Leadership aides, activists, and caucus managers can paint it as morality, restoring trust, or a strike against a problem that might infect the broader brand.

But the principle matters for regular Americans. Congress should not treat serious misconduct like it comes with a free pass. If the House proceeds with hearings and investigations and applies the rules, and if it takes a two-thirds vote, then Congress is forcing itself to reach consensus, not just posture.

Brick’s bottom line: accountability beats performative outrage

I do not need Congress to play nice. I need it to play by the rules. Whether expulsion happens or not, the message on the grill stays loud: misconduct allegations do not vanish just because the scandal comes with a party logo.